by Frank Scott, Snohomish custodian and 2026 PSE Legislative Intern
My week as a PSE legislative intern was a most interesting week I have had in a long time. I had the pleasure of being in Olympia with Evergreen paraeducator Rachel Rice. We got to see the senators in floor action. We also got to see the House of Representatives open a floor session and shortly after recess for a caucus. We got to see both the House and Senate hold committee meetings and hear both public hearings and executive debate sessions.
I learned that the Senate floor is run by Lt. Governor Denny Heck and the House of Representatives floor is run by the Speaker of the House. I also learned that the Secretary of State is responsible for the Washington state seal, which the Governor needs to have in case they need to use their executive powers, like declaring an emergency.
We got to meet Lt. Governor Denny Heck while Rick was showing use the four corners of the 2nd floor of the capital. There is the Governors office, the Lt. Governors office, the Secretary of State and the State Treasurer. During our week there we got to see Rick in action as he testified in two committee meetings that were going on at the same time. We also got to sit in on his weekly meeting with other K-12 education lobbyists and see how they work together on one common goal.
One of the most interesting things I learned is how much it takes to get a bill passed with all the public hearings and the legislators adding things and takings thing out. My favorite part of the week was being able to pick Rick’s brain about something I didn't understand. He is very knowledgeable about it all and had a way of making complicated things understandable.
I would encourage anyone who has ever wondered why it takes so long for anything to get done in Olympia to apply to become an intern. You don't need to be a brainiac to be one. I'm not the brightest tool in the tool box, all you have to have is a willingness to learn.
In closing, for those of you who think Charlie Brown is just a cartoon character he is not. He wears a tie and is a school district lobbyist in Olympia: